Kairos Inside

Kairos Inside

Kairos Inside is the way Kairos reaches out to male and female inmates, saying “You have a choice.”

It operates in men’s and women’s correctional centres around Australia, and is based on a 3- to 5-day ‘Short Course’ run inside the centre by a team of highly trained volunteers.

The inmates who take part in Kairos Inside are invited by the prison chaplain with approval of the prison administration, and each inmate can chose whether they want to attend or not. The program is completely voluntary.

Through a systematic, structured program, Kairos Inside participants:

are given the time to reflect on their lives to date;

hear the life stories of many team members;

learn that choice is an option for them (often the first time they have recognised this).

learn to recognise that some team members have had lives just as hard as theirs, but made different responses to difficulties and challenges; and

are buoyed by the hope that ‘what was' doesn’t have to be 'what will be’.

During Kairos Inside, participants are placed in small groups made up of a team leader and other participants. The groups are encouraged to take on the characteristics of a sharing family. For many residents, this is their first experience of a supportive family environment.

After a ‘Short Course’ there is an ongoing ‘Journey’ program where a rotation of team members continue to return every week or fortnight until the next Short Course is run in 6 or 12 months time.

Since actions always speak louder than words to most inmates, it is in the ongoing Journey program that the ‘proof of the words’ as team members ‘walk the talk’, which is proof of their willingness to support the participants in moving forward.

The Impact

A study undertaken by Corrective Services NSW into the recidivism rate of inmates who completed the Kairos Inside program showed a favourable result compared with the general recidivism rate.

What We Do

Testimonials

Louise (not her real name) looks at Kairos Outside, as an experience of support for women who have someone they love serving a prison sentence - she titled it

"Hurting on the inside for those on the outside"

Louise (not her real name)Kairos Outside

Thank you for making me feel like a princess and for giving me a wonderful weekend. Two guests were overcome by what happened and kept saying to each other "I can’t believe it".

ChristineA recent guest

An Amazing Gift

– a female inmate shares her story

Kairos for me was the most wonderful experience I have ever encountered. What really got me, was that these people really didn't care what I had done to end up in here – they just weren't interested. They all possessed this ability to love you regardless of what you have done, and forgive you, although they didn't know what they were forgiving you for. I hope I develop the ability to be like that to others in the future. At least my direction is right this time.

Sharing her StoryA female inmate

I attended Kairos and my life changed from that time.

I'm feeling a lot better about myself, and slowly getting to know the old me, but with new principles and morals. I used to know what I wanted to do in the future, but now it's just a day at a time, one foot after another, but I am on a journey that is now filled with hope for the future and putting some dignity back into my life.

From an InmateA personal testimony

“The Experience of a Lifetime”

We learnt a lot over these days, about each other, about ourselves, about forgiveness, but most of all about ourselves - that there was a choice and the possibility of a better way ahead and yes, about our beliefs and faith.

An inmateexpectations fulfilled

I couldn't believe that there were others who actually knew what I felt and, like me, had lived those days when you wish it would all just go away. These women were an inspiration to me and have helped me start living again by making better choices and reminding me that I don't have to walk alone.

RachelA former Kairos Outside guest

It’s very easy just not to know what a hidden section of the population like these women who are supporting someone in prison, are going through. Most have courage and perseverance to be able to survive, but most do not have a lot of hope. To be able to add hope to their courage and perseverance is a very precious thing.